Chapter 90

Epilogue: After Winning the Championship

When he heard that, Rong Yi instantly felt wide awake. He crawled out of his embrace, propped himself up on his shoulder, and craned his neck to look outside.

Through the other window, he could just make out the lawn and swimming pool outside.

Last night, when they moved in, Rong Yi vaguely remembered that the lawn and pool were covered with fallen leaves. But today, everything had been cleaned up, and the pool had fresh water.

“Is this your place?” Rong Yi asked.

Xiao Yin pulled him back down, “This is a house I stayed in during high school, nearby. I don’t come here often. I was thinking of taking you directly to my parents’ place, but since you weren’t prepared for that, I figured you’d feel a bit uncomfortable, so I brought you here first.”

“But they visited this morning. Tonight, they’ve invited us over for dinner. Hydralisk and the others will be heading back to their own homes tonight.”

Rong Yi almost choked, “Your family came over for the first time, and you didn’t tell me, letting me sleep until three in the afternoon?” Xiao Yin remained calm, “They know last night was the championship night, and everyone was exhausted, so they understand.” Rong Yi jumped out of his arms, stopping him from helping, and went to the wardrobe to pick out clothes himself, “What should I do? All I brought are casual clothes, nothing nice or formal.” Xiao Yin smiled at him, “No problem. You look good in anything.”

“No way.”

“This is too casual. It’s very impolite to dress like this.” Rong Yi started to get nervous, his expression becoming serious. He looked out the window and began to instruct Xiao Yin, “Go out and buy me some clothes right now.”

After saying this, Rong Yi paused and reconsidered, perhaps recalling Xiao Yin’s sometimes elegant, sometimes perplexing taste. He said, “I’ll climb out the window and go buy them myself.” Xiao Yin finally realized there was an issue with his plan. Seeing that Rong Yi was indeed about to climb out the window, he quickly reassured him, “I’ll go buy them. Don’t worry. Dinner at our house starts at 7:30. You’ll have enough time to get dressed by then.”

Then, Xiao Yin quickly called the assistant.

The only assistant who came with them for the competition was Little Tang. The other two assistants were back home, busy and overwhelmed with team matters.

“Contact the nearest clothing brands immediately and have them send over some of their newest, unreleased items to my place within twenty minutes. If they’re too far, don’t bother.” Xiao Yin replied to whatever Little Tang asked on the other end, “Yes, it’s for Ah Yi. Use the same sizes as before.” After hanging up, Xiao Yin saw Rong Yi glaring at him and reassured him, “It’s nothing. I’ll just say that the team didn’t bring enough clothes, and since the temperature dropped, I’m buying for everyone.”

Rong Yi slumped back onto the bed, pulling the blanket over himself, “You’re really something.”

Xiao Yin looked at him calmly and politely, “I’m sorry, I oversimplified things. I just thought it was a family meeting, but I forgot how much more seriously and thoughtfully you take these things.”

With that, Rong Yi couldn’t stay mad.

He muttered, “Exactly. You can’t be this casual for a first meeting. You mentioned your parents, while living here, still hold onto some traditional values. These things matter.”

Just as he finished speaking, Rong Yi jumped up again, “Gift! I didn’t bring a gift.”

Xiao Yin quickly came up with a solution, “After you change clothes, I’ll tell them I’m taking you out to eat. Then we can buy something suitable outside, okay?” Only then did Rong Yi breathe a sigh of relief.

Twenty minutes later, Little Tang, carrying a clothing box, knocked on their door with heavy footsteps.

Rong Yi wasn’t picky about how expensive his clothes were, but they had to be stylish and presentable.

He quickly chose a fitted turtleneck sweater paired with a metallic-colored casual overcoat. He then changed into a pair of sleek jeans and new boots. He stood up to check his reflection.

Not bad, presentable.

Rong Yi let out a partial sigh of relief.

With all this commotion, Xiao Yin’s earlier plans were completely derailed.

Rong Yi, now properly dressed, followed Xiao Yin downstairs.

In the living room, Leiya and Xiao Yin’s mom were seated.

Leiya, whom Rong Yi had met before, greeted him warmly as soon as he came down. “Hi, Sister-in-law! You’re awake. Congratulations on winning the World Championship!” Rong Yi accepted her enthusiastic hug and then noticed Xiao Yin’s mom standing on the other side. She looked very young and well-maintained, exuding a mature warmth and composure. She seemed even more nervous than him, almost losing control of her expressions.

“Hello, Ah Yi. I’m Xiao Yin’s mom. You can call me Aunt Lei or Mom, just like he does,” she said.

Rong Yi smiled at her, “Hello, Auntie.”

She grew increasingly nervous, almost not knowing what to do with her hands. With a reminder from Leiya, she managed to relax a bit. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let me make you some breakfast. How about pancakes and fresh milk?”

“Mom, I’ll take him out to eat,” Xiao Yin interjected. “Aren’t you and Leiya going shopping? You don’t have to worry about us until evening.” Ms. Lei looked visibly relieved, “Alright, alright. You take him out.”

“Then, Auntie, we’ll be going.” Rong Yi glanced back before Xiao Yin took his hand and led him outside. Once they were outside, he whispered, “Why is Auntie so nervous?”

“It’s the first time meeting you, so she’s definitely nervous. She’s quite protective of me.” Xiao Yin recalled previous events and chuckled, “She’s probably afraid you won’t like it here and might leave, which would drive me crazy.”

Rong Yi sat in the passenger seat, watching Xiao Yin lean over to buckle his seatbelt.

It was like he picked up on a keyword.

“Gone crazy before?”

“They’re somewhat overprotective of me,” Xiao Yin explained. “I wasn’t in good health as a child, so my family spoiled me a bit. They let me do whatever I wanted but hoped I would stay close to them.”

“Five years ago, I left the country. It wasn’t to come here and start working on QILIN. The esports industries in both countries are quite mature, so I first went there alone.”

Xiao Yin started the car and drove it out of the garage, speaking in a calm tone, “They were terrified because, whether in A Country or back home, they could support me. But in other places, I didn’t speak the language, didn’t know anyone, and was all alone.”

He glanced at Rong Yi’s expression, “It wasn’t all because of you. It’s just a path I had to take. At least, there are some things I needed to achieve on my own.”

Rong Yi thought for a long time.

What a classic Prestigious Family young master storyline.

Silently applauding.

Rong Yi put himself in Xiao Yin’s shoes and thought, “Then they probably don’t like me very much. If I were a parent, I’d be worried about a kid with your personality too.”

“They don’t.”

Xiao Yin smiled, “Leiya met you and said that if there’s any hope for my personality to improve, it’s with you. Because there’s no one else in the world who can keep me in check and still make me happy.”

Rong Yi pouted, his face turning red.

Xiao Yin was always like this, cold, indifferent, seemingly unattached to anything. Even back when they were in their home country, Rong Yi rarely saw him contact his family.

He really did seem like someone with inherent personality issues.

But of course, Rong Yi wouldn’t dare say that.

“However, no matter what, you should call your family during holidays. And bring gifts when you visit.” Rong Yi reminded him, “None of your siblings are around your parents. They probably wish for more companionship from their children.”

He spoke earnestly, looking particularly endearing.

His own family wasn’t happy, but somehow, he grew up to be such a wonderful person—earnest, sensible, and kind-hearted. Xiao Yin nodded after listening, “Alright. I’ll listen to you.”

“I’ll always listen to you.”

As soon as he said that, the atmosphere in the car changed.

They were like a new family, possibly spending the rest of their lives together. This feeling grew stronger, and both their hearts started to beat a little faster.

Xiao Yin took him to have zhajiangmian and rolls, making Rong Yi feel like he was back home for a moment. Later, they picked out some gifts to bring home. Rong Yi paid for them himself, getting something for each member of the Xiao Family, while Xiao Yin also bought some snacks and treats to take back.

They didn’t spend too long shopping; an hour and a half later, they were back home, ready to pick up Lei Mama and Leiya to head to the family home.

Contrary to Rong Yi’s expectations, it wasn’t the exaggerated, lavish castle he had imagined, but it was still quite grand.

A very understated villa belonging to a wealthy family, with excellent natural light and a vast yard that takes twenty minutes to drive around due to the small lake and forest at the back.

It’s said there’s also a skiing area and a horse training ground, though not in this part.

Upon arriving at their own home, Lei Mama seemed much more at ease, likely having adjusted her mindset. This time, she joined them on the sofa, eating fried chicken and chatting about family matters.

“Here’s the situation.”

“Ah Yin’s Elder Brother couldn’t make it back. Both he and his Sister-in-law are too busy, and there were no available flights. But they’ve entrusted their gifts to Leiya and promised they would definitely attend the wedding.”

“His dad will only be home by evening. An Auntie is preparing the food at home.”

“How many weddings do you two plan to have?” Lei Mama asked.

“Well, um.” Rong Yi was caught off guard by the question.

He hadn’t planned on any weddings. They couldn’t hold one back home, and while they could have one abroad, it seemed too complicated to plan. Ever since Xiao Yin proposed, Rong Yi had considered himself married, not really giving much thought to other ceremonies or processes.

Xiao Yin stepped in to help, saying, “We can discuss that later. Let’s eat first.”

At 7 PM, Xiao’s father finally arrived, looking exhausted. Apparently, he had just gotten off the plane after a meeting. The previous incident at home had been like a bomb going off, but Xiao Yin’s actions had been even more audacious and swift than he had imagined. Just as Xiao’s father had calmed down and reluctantly accepted the situation, Xiao Yin had actually brought Rong Yi home. This was outright rebellion.

Xiao’s father’s face was stern, and he angrily pushed open the door, only to see Rong Yi, looking particularly handsome and well-behaved, sitting on the sofa. The fireplace was blazing, and Rong Yi, sitting hand in hand with Xiao Yin, was chatting with Lei Mama and Leiya about various experiences. This kid looked so refined that at first glance, he seemed like a graduate student from a prestigious university, without any off-putting vibes—quite the opposite, he seemed dignified and composed.

Xiao’s father’s initial angry shout got stuck in his throat.

Seeing Xiao’s father return, Xiao’s mother was the first to stand up, handing him a cup of hot tea. “You just got back. It’s snowing up north, isn’t it? Have some ginger tea that Ah Yi brought back.”

Rong Yi quickly stood up as well, giving him a slight bow. “Hello, Uncle. I’m Rong Yi, Xiao Yin’s boyfriend.”

“Hello.”

Xiao’s father swallowed his words.

Xiao’s father had been in the business world for many years and had a sharp eye for people. Seeing the scene before him, his face darkened. He pointed at Xiao Yin and said, “Come with me.”

Xiao Yin stood up.

The others were puzzled and looked at him with some concern. Xiao’s mother looked particularly worried, remembering the time Xiao Yin was almost hit by a vase, which nearly broke his face. To this day, there was still a faint scar on his nose.

She warned, “Ah Yi is here today. Don’t cause any trouble.”

This was directed at Xiao’s father.

Xiao’s father frowned and impatiently replied, “What trouble? Can’t I talk to my own son? Is there no place for me in this house anymore?”

Lei Mama remained silent.

Xiao Yin went to a separate room first, and Xiao’s father followed, closing the door behind him.

Xiao Yin pushed a chair towards his father. “Have a seat. What’s the matter?”

Xiao’s father’s face was grim as he took control of the conversation. “Tell me the truth.”

With his naturally imposing face and booming voice, this demand was like thunder, enough to scare most people half to death.

But Xiao Yin remained composed. “What do you want to know?”

“That kid outside—did you get him through improper means?” Xiao’s father asked harshly. “Did you coerce him, using our family’s status and influence to make him agree to be with you?”

Xiao Yin was silent.

It took him a full two seconds before he moved. He looked up, his tone calm.

“Is it possible?”

“Our family is wealthy, but we’re not a mafia.”